Theoretical study of the mechanism of the Wittig reaction: Ab initio and MNDO-PM3 treatment of the reaction of unstabilized,semistabilized, and stabilized ylides with acetaldehyde

In this study, we describe the results of ab initio (HF and MP2) and MNDO-PM3 calculations on the model reactions of unstabilized (Me₃P=CH–CH₃), semi-stabilized (Me₃P=CH–C≡CH), and stabilized (Me₃P=CH–C≡N) ylides with acetaldehyde to form their respective Z and E olefins and trimethylphosphine oxide. These reactions occur in three stages: oxaphosphetane formation, oxaphosphetane pseudorotation, and oxaphosphetane decomposition. The calculated barriers for these processes vary considerably depending on the level of theory employed (ab initio vs. MNDO-PM3 or HF vs. MP2 at the ab initio level). However, self-consistent geometries of reactants, intermediates, transition states and products are obtained at all levels. Oxaphosphetane formation is best described as very asynchronous cycloaddition (borderline two-step mechanisms). The geometries of the transition states are near planar with respect to P, C, C, and O atoms. Analysis of the bond indices of these reactions shows that the C–C bonds are between 44% (unstabilized case) and 60% (stabilized case) formed, whereas the corresponding P–O bonds have not been formed to any significant degree. Oxaphosphetane decomposition can be described as a very asynchronous retrocycloaddition where P–C bond breakage runs ahead of C–O bond breakage. These results are compared with experimental findings for the Wittig reaction, and its relevance to the overall mechanism of the olefination is discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 8: 557–569, 1997